Beef tongue is considered a delicacy by many people in this country, as well as in many foreign countries. However, one problem encountered during the processing of the product is the fact that blood will typically remain within the two longitudinally extending veins along the transverse sides of the tongue, after conventional processing of the cattle at a packing plant.
In many cases, the tongue is not shipped as a whole, but rather is sliced transversely, and shipped in the sliced condition. Any blood which remains within these lateral veins will appear as dark coagulated blood spots on opposing sides of each slice of the mean product.
While the blood is typically not a health concern, the appearance of these spots in every slice of meat is displeasing to most customers, and thereby reduces the value of the product.